A single combination tool for painters and glazers which enables the user to conduct a plurality of operations associated with painting and glazing has been desired for some time. These procedures are: cleaning a paint roller, scraping old paint, setting glazing tips, cleaning cracks, working putty, opening paint cans (removing lids), and removing flat head and Phillips screws, e.g., to remove light switch plates.
There have been many attempts in prior art devices to provide: combination painters' and related industrial artists' combination tools and implements. However, none of these combination tools accomplishes the seven way function of the present invention with the structural characteristics which the present invention possesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 429,515 issued to M. Fred is directed to a painter's implement which is a three way combination tool in essence serving as a putty knife, a screw adapted to serve as a holder for the painter when screwed into a wall or other place, and a paint pot hanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 699,207 issued to S. A. Moe relates to a combination tool having three separate functions, viz., that of a putty knife (1), a pair of claws (7) which are lockable in position, and a screwdriver or similar instrument (14). As will be noted from the Moe patent disclosure, the basic portions of the handle are not reversible for positioning a tool component in position for independent use.
U.S. Pat. No. 896,746 issued to W. B. McCarty is directed to a combination tool having basically four functions, viz., a pair of wrenches (13), wire cutters (4, 5) knives (8) and screwdrivers (18, 19 ). The wrenches tend to accommodate nuts of different sizes. The McCarty patent also states that the handle member (11) not only serves the function of closing the chamber (7) over the knife blade, but also serves the additional function of a separate handle when the jaws (4, 5) are to be opened or closed during the use of and manipulation of the device as a pair of pliers or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,331,204 issued to O. H. Lay is directed to a combination tool that embodies elements whereby the tool may be used as a lace leather cutter, edging knife, rivet set, rivet header, screwdriver and punch. In the Lay combination tool any of the tool portions is reversible and pivotal about a pin which is movable within a slot in the handle portion of the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,993 issued to H. P. Parrigin, et al, is directed to a tool having a plurality of blades pivotally attached to a handle portion. This patent does not show handle portions which are reversible for positioning tool components in various positions of independent use separate from one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,839,110 issued to H. C. Carpenter is directed to a combination glazing tool containing a putty knife in the handle of which are mounted various forms of tools necessary for use in glazing and also containing a nail-setting tool which can be extended and turned to be automatically locked in a position at a right angle with respect to the handle so as to permit it to be readily applied at one end to a nail leaving the other end free to be stroked by a hammer while setting the nail. The Carpenter folding blade sheathed nail set does not have a handle having reversible upper and lower portions, each permitting separate use of tool components mounted therein in combination with a central blade having the various separate functions of the combination tool of this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,009 issued to R. P. Simmons is directed to a multi-purpose hand tool having four small foldable hand tools to turn screw fasteners and punch or counter sink holes and the like, which small individual hand tools are mounted circumferentially in four grooves positioned around the outer periphery of the handle. In addition the Simmons multi-purpose hand tool contains a centrally located screwdriver element (59). Each of the individual peripherally mounted components are movable to a position normal to the long axis of the handle.